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Here is Brian Judson's preview of the game
Full Record of Spurs -v- Fulham
Premier Pl W D L For-Ag Pts
Home 1 1 0 0 4 - 0 3
Away 2 1 0 1 4 - 3 3
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Total(Prem) 3 2 0 1 8 - 3 6
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Football Lge
Home(Div 1) 11 8 3 0 28 - 13 19
Away(Div 1) 11 6 4 1 17 - 12 16
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Total(Div 1) 22 14 7 1 45 - 25 35
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Football Lge
Home(Div 2) 11 4 6 1 13 - 8 14
Away(Div 2) 11 4 5 2 20 - 16 13
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Total(Div 2) 22 8 11 3 33 - 24 27
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Total(Prem) 3 2 0 1 8 - 3 6
Total(Div 1) 22 14 7 1 45 - 25 35
Total(Div 2) 22 8 11 3 33 - 24 27
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Grand Total 47 24 18 5 86 - 52 68
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Fulham snatched a vital win last Wednesday to put considerable daylight between themselves and the relegation battle. They are a very tired side because they have played more home games than the rest of the Premiership. Whilst most teams were gently easing themselves back into pre-season training, they were embarking on the Inter-Toto Cup in the middle of July. They have played 46 matches in all competitions so far this season and are due to play Burnley in a FA Cup replay on Wednesday evening.
Their problems have not been confined to the football pitch as they have encountered problems with the redevelopment of Craven Cottage. The NIMBY brigade have so far managed to prevent progress on the redevelopment, forcing Fulham to consider further options. At the moment, the likelihood is they will
remain at Shepherds Bush but they are also known to be considering sharing Stamford Bridge if a change in the covenant on using the ground can be overcome. It is absolutely crucial to Fulham they remain in the Premiership. However, there are rumours that Mohammad Al-Fayed and Jean Tigana are at loggerheads and the rumours persist that Tigana will leave Fulham at the end of the season.
Spurs and Fulham have not played each other very often in recent years. Fulham, of course, have spent a lot of time in the lower regions of the League and came close to losing their Football League position at one point. But since Mohammad Al-Fayed took over, it has been an upward progression from the basement. Last season, Fulham were a surprise package to the Premiership, having walked away with Division 1 the previous season. They have tried to play football the way it should be played. This season, Fulham have struggled, as they have been hit by injuries to key players and have not been able to strengthen their squad. There was, for instance, a long drawn out saga as Fulham tried to persuade Sergei Rebrov to sign for them.
One of my favourite recollections of Fulham is of a game where Spurs beat them 4-2 in February 1967. I remember Cliff Jones headed two goals that afternoon, colliding with the goalpost at one point in doing so, and came up spitting broken teeth out of his mouth. Harry New was the referee that day. Terry Venables and Fred Callaghan were sent off for fighting when they were only sparring in mock combat to lighten the proceedings as they were good buddies. Bill Nicholson was furious with Venables because it meant he missed a vital match against Chelsea because of the suspension he incurred.
Fulham in the 1960s were a happy-go-lucky side with Tommy Trinder, the comedian, as their Chairman and Vic Buckingham, a former Spurs stalwart, as their manager. Buckingham had adopted the ideas he had learned from Arthur Rowe but tailored them to suit the long ball skills of Johnny Haynes, possibly the best player of the 1960s until the rise of George Best. But Haynes had never really recovered from a car crash in the early 1960s and his type of play was anathema to Sir Alf Ramsey, who was England coach by then. There was always a smile when Fulham came to play. They knew their limitations and were happy to make up the numbers in the top flight. What started Fulham's demise was the abolition of the maximum wage. Trinder had openly said he would pay
Haynes £100 a week if the maximum wage was abolished and Haynes held him to that promise. But Fulham could not compete with richer clubs so were not able to attract players to the Cottage. Inevitably, they were relegated and were looking likely to go out of existence until Al-Fayed turned up.
Tottenham, of course, have their own problems. With Ferdinand and Rebrov having left, they are in crisis as both strikers are injured. Iversen has a long standing slipped disc problem that needs to be operated on and Keane is making slow progress o n recovering from an injury he recently picked up. It looks as if Doherty will have to play up front with Sheringham for the time being. Thankfully, only Ziege remains our long-term absentee at present.
We should win tomorrow night as Fulham will be feeling the pressure more than ourselves. Although we still have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe, it will take some achieving! It will be best if we forget about Europe and concentrate on taking each game as they come and concentrate on winning those games, concentrating over 90 minutes. I take us to win 3-1 tomorrow night but we will have to be patient!
COME ON YOU SPURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers, Brian
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